The Museum of the Vitebsk People's Art School opened in Vitebsk
The house on Mark Chagall Street, formerly "Pravda," and even earlier Bukharinskaya, has entered the encyclopedia of world art on a par with the famous French "L'Oeil" and the German Bauhaus. The building, constructed in 1913 by banker Israel Vishnyak, was made famous by the artists who settled here, the proponents of revolutionary trends in painting, graphics, sculpture, and design.
Our compatriot Marc Chagall, who dreamed of having an educational institution in his hometown where young people could receive professional art education, founded the new art school.
By the way, it became the first in Belarus. The mansion on Bukharinskaya Street was transferred for the needs of the people's school. Soon, the banker's living rooms housed free workshops, where master classes were given by representatives of the Russian avant-garde invited by Chagall: Kazimir Malevich, Vera Ermolaeva, Nikolai Suetin, Ivan Puni, Ilya Chashnik, El Lissitzky, Marc Chagall's first teacher Yury Pen, sculptor, classic of 20th-century Latvian art Yan Tilberg, and others.
It was within these walls that the creative association UNOVIS, which has no analogues in world history, was created and began to operate. A museum of contemporary art was opened here, its collection including over a hundred works by leading artists. Today, these works adorn the halls of prestigious museums in various countries.
The fate of this house turned out so happily that it has been well preserved to the present day. The building managed to survive during the revolution, in the tragic years of the Great Patriotic War, and during the global redevelopment of the city. But many years passed before it regained its historical purpose.
In 2013, the Vitebskgrazhdanproekt institute began developing design and estimate documentation, and in 2014, the construction work began.
It is symbolic that the museum opening took place on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Vitebsk Art School. The first enrollment began in November 1918, and classes started at the end of January 1919.
As noted by the Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies Vladimir Terentyev, the thoughts, ideas, and actions of a large group of people led to the creation of this beautiful, magnificent object. He named those who fought for this house and promoted the idea of its return to the city's cultural space. These include the founder of the Vitebsk Center for Contemporary Art Valentina Kirillova, and the former chairman of the regional executive committee Alexander Kosinets, who proclaimed the creation of a museum quarter, and many others.
"Only through collective effort could such a great deed be accomplished. Today, we probably do not fully realize what has happened, but I am sure that the Museum of the History of VNHU will attract a large flow of tourists and art critics from all over the world. And it will continue to develop," emphasized Vladimir Vladimirovich.
The house on Marc Chagall Street skillfully combines the early 20th and 21st centuries. Historical interiors are literally packed with modern multimedia technology. Old poster stands feature monitors displaying all information about Vitebsk's cultural life of past years.
One of the attractions is the granite floor laid out according to the sketches of El Lissitzky's famous poster "Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge." An enlarged photo of the school's teachers is also displayed here.
On the second floor, the offices of Chagall and Malevich, and Lissitzky's workshop have been recreated. They were reconstructed based on old photographs and surviving descriptions. In the room where Marc Chagall lived, a fragment of the authentic parquet floor has been preserved, and the wallpaper that was here has been recreated. An old mirror, reflecting paintings, is incorporated into the memorial quotes.
A similar multimedia insert is integrated into the retro table in Kazimir Malevich's office. Information about the artist's life and work can be displayed on the tablet, and his foundational articles are shown on the room's walls.
One of the rooms is equipped with a huge screen and info kiosks, serving as a large encyclopedia and library. Another room is a cinema hall where one can watch all the productions of the futuristic opera "Victory Over the Sun," for which Kazimir Malevich was the artist.
There is a room where young artists can study and receive their first awards, like Elizaveta Androsova, a student of the Vitebsk Children's Art School, who was solemnly presented with a certificate for a scholarship from the Special Fund of the President of Belarus for the Support of Talented Youth.
According to the Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, Vladimir Nikolaikin, the Museum of the History of the Vitebsk People's Art School is a tribute to heritage and will enhance the city's image. Viktor Pavlovich expressed his gratitude to those who applied all their efforts and knowledge to implement this project: the authors of the concept, architects, and builders.
The opening of this significant object, not only for Vitebsk but also for Belarus, was attended by the Head of the Main Department of Culture and Analytical Work of the Ministry of Culture of Belarus, Vasily Chernik.
By common consensus, the Museum of the History of the Vitebsk People's Art School is destined to become a popular spot for both city residents and visitors. There is much to see, study, and be amazed by. History and modernity have found their place here, just as they did a hundred years ago.